Hungry Beautiful Animals

The Joyful Case for Going Vegan

By: Matthew C. Halteman

Narrated by: Matthew C. Halteman

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

"This timely exploration of the profound impact of our dietary choices on both individual and collective flourishing is essential reading for anyone who eats."—Bryant Terry, James Beard award-winning author of Vegetable Kingdom

“This is a book of sacred truths, the kind of thing you read and your soul forever registers."—Kathy Freston, New York Times best-selling author of The Lean

A heartfelt, humane, and even hilarious account of why rule-obsessed veganism fails and how a focus on flourishing can bring about an abundant future for all

Perhaps you’ve looked at factory farming or climate change and thought, I should become a vegan. And like most people who think that, very probably you haven’t. Why? Well, in our world, roast turkey emanates gratitude, steak confers virility, and chicken soup represents a mother’s love. Against that, simply swapping meat for plants won’t work.

In Hungry Beautiful Animals, philosopher Matthew C. Halteman shows us how—despite all the forces arrayed against going vegan—we can create an abundant life for everyone without using animals for food. It might seem that moral rectitude or environmental judgement should do the trick, but they can’t. Going vegan must be about flourishing, for all life. Shame and blame don’t lead to flourishing. We must do it with joy instead.

Hungry Beautiful Animals is more than philosophy: it’s a book of action, of forgiveness, of love. Funny and wise, this book frees us joyfully to want what we already know we need.

©2024 Matthew C. Halteman, PhD (P)2024 Basic Books

Critic reviews

“This is a book of sacred truths, the kind of thing you read and your soul forever registers what’s so. There is poetry herein, and common sense, for sure; there is thorough academic exploration so that every word feels solid. But what is most enriching, the thing that will stay with you, is that Matt’s words feel like a gateway into our Better. One gets the sense that the time is now, and we can rise to it. And Matt is that seasoned, trustworthy guide to deliver us there.”—Kathy Freston, New York Times best-selling author of The Lean

“Only Matt Halteman could have penned Hungry Beautiful Animals. Drawing from personal experiences and philosophical insights, this timely exploration of the profound impact of our dietary choices on both individual and collective flourishing is essential reading for anyone who eats. Halteman offers a fresh perspective on going vegan, one that doesn’t require you to give up your favorite foods or compromise your cultural traditions. Instead, Hungry Beautiful Animals invites us to embrace the beauty and abundance that vegan living can provide, not as a sacrifice but as a joyful celebration of life on this planet.”—Bryant Terry, James Beard Award-winning author of Vegetable Kingdom

"This compelling read calls us to breathe into our humanity and to understand how our joy increases when we help bring joy to others. We are all connected, and anytime someone experiences kindness, whether human or more than human, our world is made better."—Gene Baur, President and Co-Founder of Farm Sanctuary